Oakham School (1985-1992)

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  The Macfadyen Shield - House devising competition

The Queen Elizabeth Theatre (225 places) a été inauguré en 1979 par Sa Majesté la reine Elizabeth II et a vu depuis plus de cent cinquante productions.

t has become a ritual at Oakham that Autumn heralds the School’s major Theatre competition of the year - The Macfadyen Shield –28th and 29th September.

Since he rose to prominence in the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice which, incidentally was shot down the road in Stamford, the Drama Department at Oakham has wished to celebrate him – an Old Oakamian... and a celebrity. Matthew Macfadyen has given his name to a competition and to the prizes for the brightest up-and-coming dramaturges in the school and, who it is hoped, might one day follow in his footsteps.

Upon leaving Oakham (1985-1992) Matthew trained at RADA (1992-1995), and enjoyed a successful theatre career. Thereafter, in the media of film and television his track-record is also extensive: as long ago as 1998 he appeared in the TV movie of Wuthering Heights, as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice (2005), Comic Relief (2007), in a Miss Marple TV movie, and in Little Dorrit (2008), as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood (2010), he appeared regularly in Spooks (2002-2010), and this year in the block-buster movie Anna Karenina, and on the little (or not so little) screen – in Ripper Street.

These are just some of his credits - but what they represent to students of acting at Oakham is what can be achieved through hard work and the right training.

On a wall in the Drama Department there hang photographs of our alumni and for each an epigram, Matthew Macfadyen wrote: “It all starts here.”

How right he was!

David Norell
Manager QET

Spoiler:

Matthew Macfadyen, whose face is familiar but has yet to be recognised as a household name, is a rising star. An actor who has toured with the Royal Shakespeare Company, he appeared recently in the BBC2 programme Perfect Strangers and was also in the Ben Elton movie, Maybe Baby. Good looking Matthew attended Oakham School between 1985 and 1992. If recent history is anything to go by there will be many more superstars who will emerge from Oakham in the years to come. So keep your eyes peeled, you never know who you might see on the way to the shops!

Lined up to play opposite her as the arrogant but eligible Mr Darcy is Matthew Macfadyen, best known for his role in the BBC spy drama Spooks.

30 years of Drama at Oakham
A Celebration *
Sunday 30 November
10.00am–5.00pm
Oakham School

On the Razzle performed by current pupils (QET)
A Q&A with OO actors/performers (Wilson Auditorium)
Lunch and Afternoon Tea (The Barraclough)

*OOs and Hon OOs who participated in drama during their time at the School are invited to this event, which is free of charge. Invites will be sent out during the summer holidays; please contact Melanie Russell if you wish to ensure your name is included on the invitation list.

This year, Oakham School’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre celebrates its 30th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the Drama department are putting on a lavish production of Tom Stoppard’s On The Razzle, a Viennese farce that was first performed at Oakham in 1984.

The show will run for five performances, finishing with a gala day on Sunday 30 November, where the original 1984 cast, along with other Old Oakhamians, are invited back to the School to enjoy the next generation’s restaging of the play.

Oakham will also be welcoming back talented alumni who have built successful careers in the performing arts, including Matthew Macfadyen (92), Miles Jupp (98), Richard Hope (71), Matthew Baldwin (96), Fiona Sheehan (02), Katie Hall (08), Tom Hescott (96), Lydia Rose Bewley (03), Nicholas Banks (05), Greg Hicks (71) and others. After a buffet lunch, the above will also be participating in a Q&A session, where members of the audience will be able to quiz them about their time at Oakham and their subsequent careers.

Guests will then be able to return to the Barraclough to enjoy afternoon tea to end what promises to be a memorable day for many years to come.